"_Coast clear--safe landing here--important news!_"
CHAPTER XII.
THE MEETING BETWEEN THE LINES.
"Good for us! We"re the ones to read a message! But say, was that in German, or French, or English, I want to know?" and Tubby seized his chums each by an arm, as he asked this question in a husky whisper.
"When you come to making dots and dashes in the Morse code, or what answers for the same with the heliograph, or a torch, or signal flags, I guess all languages are the same!" Merritt told him, more to keep Tubby quiet than for any other reason.
"The question is, who could that message have been for?" Rob was muttering.
"There, he starts in again," said Tubby. "He"s a most persistent sort of chap, I take it, and means that the other fellow will get that message, sooner or later. What "coast is clear"? Why, we"re miles and miles away from the sea-sh.o.r.e now, ain"t we? And what under the sun does he mean by "safe landing"? Where"s the boat going to come from, somebody tell me quick?"
"I think I know," Rob had just managed to say in reply, when all of them were suddenly startled to hear a queer, rattling sound from behind that kept swiftly drawing nearer and nearer, until presently Tubby, in sheer alarm, dropped flat to the ground.
As he lay sprawled out on his back, judge of his astonishment when he saw some object, that was like an immense bird, pa.s.s over not fifty feet above him. It was heading directly for the spot where the light of the lantern glowed in that open field.
The shuttle sound abruptly ceased.
"He"s shut off his engine," remarked Rob, apparently intensely interested.
"Yes, because he means to alight in the field," added Merritt.
Tubby suddenly comprehended what it must apparently mean. He hastened to scramble to his feet again, and no sooner had he accomplished this than he was, of course, busily engaged with his questions.
"Was that an aeroplane, Rob?"
"It certainly was," he was informed.
"Then that signal was for the pilot; that was what it meant by "safe landing here" and "coast clear!" Oh! I begin to see it all now. The "important news" he mentioned in his message must be something a spy has gathered, and which he wants this air-pilot to carry back to the German lines for him? Am I on the right track, Rob?"
"Yes; that"s about what it all means, Tubby."
"Then that machine must have been one of the Taube aeroplanes they told us about?"
"We expect it is," replied the obliging Rob.
"It must have landed by now, then, hasn"t it?"
"As we can hear nothing moving, that"s about the way things stand,"
replied the patrol leader.
"Please shut up, Tubby, so we can listen," Merritt suggested, not unkindly, but with the authority that his position as second in command of the Eagle Patrol allowed him to display.
Tubby thereupon collapsed; that is, he simply mumbled to himself, while staring as hard as he could toward the spot where they could see that feeble little glow, made by the signaling lantern.
Rob was considerably interested in the adventure. It appealed to him in a way that was almost irresistible. He could understand that this might be only one of many methods taken by the astute Germans to get valuable information to the Staff Headquarters, which were at that time supposed to be located in the captured Belgian capital of Brussels.
Some spy, who had the run of the Belgian lines, would gather up certain information which he believed might be appreciated. Then, at a given time, when darkness covered the land, he was to be waiting for a daring aviator, who would take such risks as always accompany night traveling and landing with an aeroplane.
If the man aloft failed to receive the signal agreed on, he would hover around up to a certain hour, and then go back to Brussels. But, if the coast was clear, and the secret agent gave him a.s.surance to that effect, he could dart down, and take charge of the precious doc.u.ments or maps showing the positions of various hostile forces, or else some new arrangement on the part of the defenses of Antwerp.
"I"d like to be able to just crawl up closer, and see what goes on,"
Merritt remarked, after they had stood there for a little while, listening and watching, yet seeing only that small light in the open s.p.a.ce under the stars.
"Would it be safe?" asked Tubby cautiously; though, no doubt, if his chums decided on the venture, he would be found remaining at their side.
As often happened, here again Rob had to show his leadership, and curb his chum"s impetuosity. Merritt was apt to do things sometimes on the impulse of the moment which were really unwise.
The prospect of stealing along, like Indians on the warpath, and gradually drawing closer to the spot where the pilot of the air-craft and the spy were in consultation, was very inviting. Rob, however, took a grip on himself, and decided that it would be most unwise of them to accept such an unnecessary risk.
"It"s really none of our business, Merritt," he said. "First of all----"
"Of course not, but----"
"And, if they discovered us, you know what it would mean?" Rob continued gravely.
"I suppose they would fire on us," admitted Merritt.
"They certainly would, because they could only believe that we were enemies," continued the other, who, once he had started in to convince an impulsive comrade, believed in delivering sledge-hammer blows in succession, "and we"re not aching to be filled with lead just yet."
"But," urged Merritt, "we might move along the road just a little bit farther; that would take us closer to the place. I"d like to be able to see that Taube machine fly over our heads again."
"Well, there"s no objection to doing that, only we must keep mighty quiet. And, Tubby, mind your feet!" said Rob.
Tubby did not bother making any reply, for none seemed necessary. He knew well enough that, as a rule, he was inclined to be clumsy, and could stumble, if given even half a chance. But, on the open road, and with the starlight to help out, he could not believe there was any danger.
So he sniffed disdainfully, and braced himself to move as softly as a cat; for it is wonderful how light on their feet most fat people can be, when they try their best.
Of course they could not see a thing, but then, imagination often helps out, and by this means they could picture the daring air-pilot, having successfully landed, in consultation with the secret agent.
When he had delivered what news he had picked up, perhaps verbally as well as through some written process, the spy would most likely a.s.sist the flier to get his Taube under way again, after which he could return to take up his risky profession amidst the Belgian forces.
Once Tubby did come near falling, as his toe caught in a projecting stone, which, of course, had been invisible. He managed to clutch hold of Merritt, who was on his left, and in this way avoided a tumble that might have caused more or less noise, even if it did not result in any damage to his nose.
Then Rob came to a stop. The others understood that he must have decided they were as near the place where the lantern glowed in the field as they could get without clambering over the stone barrier. This wall fence came up to Tubby"s chin, so that he had to stand on his tiptoes to see over it.
"Has he sailed away yet, Rob?" asked Tubby, in his hushed voice, which sounded as though he might be using the soft pedal on his vocal organ.
"We would have heard the clatter of his motor if he had," returned Rob.
"So far it hasn"t been found possible to deaden the rattle of the propeller. And, on a still night like this, you could get that some ways off. No, they"re talking business yet, I reckon."
"Gee whiz! but they must have a lot to say," muttered Tubby.